Method and apparatus for locating leaks in well piping



Nov. 19, 1929. P. H. GRANGER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOCATING LEAKS I WELL PIPING Filed Dec. 28. 1927 INVENTOR. Pm/ /z Gra/gef, @ww/f MMR/142% A TTORNEYS lPatented Nov. 19,

' PAUL'E GEANGER, or Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA METHOD AND'ArrA-RATUSEOR LocATrNG LEAxs 1N WELL PIPING Application led Dec.emberv2u8,i19 27. Serial No. 243,086.

l This invention relates to a method and appara-tus for locating leaks in well piping and is particularly adapted' and'intendedv for the 'detection andlocation of leaks in-the piping '5 or tubing of oi-l wells ofconsiderable depth.'

- The main'object of the invention is' to prop 4vvidea method and means forv locating leaksl -in well piping or 4tubing in an economical manner. 1o y 'In the operation of oilwells, partlcularly where they are operating at agreat depth, it=` sometimes happens that a lleak occurs 1n the l pipingor vtubing through which the oil is vpumped to thesurfaceand in such cases it is' generally 'necessaryto halt the pumping opl eration and draw'the string of piping from' the well in order that it may be inspected.' To locate-the leak'such withdrawal of the piping v is generally eiecte'd slowly so as to enable the piping to be carefully inspectedas itis being labor and money lin determining thel location.

aofof theleak. 'The accompanying drawings'illustrate embodiments of' my 'invention and referring thereto v p Fig. 1 isa vertical section vof theA well showin'g'the leak locator descending in the piping in a leak-inding operation. l

` Fig. 2fis' a View similar to Fig. 1 showing the leak locator in its finding position, and the depthv gauging means for determining the ,40 depths of such position'.I e

Fig. 31 is a side elevation'partly in section of the leak-locating device. Y Fig. 4 is a section on line in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the leak locating device.. y y s Referring to Fig. 1, a ,ellcasing is shown at 1 and the well piping or tubing is indicated vat 2 extending vertically within the casing. The leak' detecting or locating-device 3 shown in detail in Figs. 3 to 5 consists of a plugging orclosure means adapted to slide and fit within the said well tubing or piping 2 and comprising a rodor elongated member 4 of metal or` other suitable material provided with packing rings or means for forming a fluid tight lit within the well tubing or piping 2, said means comprisin for example, a series of rings or cups 5 at tlgae upper portion of the member 4 and a series of rings or cups 5 lat the lower portion ofv the vmember. 4. The member 4 constitutes an impervious `closure or plugging meansfbetwe'en the portions of the'well above and below the same and also between 'said upper andl lower portions of the or cups 5 flare suil'iciently from their points 75' of attachment to the member 4 to come Vinto contact or approximately into contact with the walls of the piping or tubing 2 at-the portion of"greatest vdiameter of said'cups, 'but above said portion, the rings or cups are preferably tapered so as to form a contracted lip. 12 to insure that the cup will 'pass along the tubing without catching in joints or other uneven places in the tubing. .Such contraction of the free edges 'of the rings or cups 85 may be secured and' maintained by lacing the -same with wire over .the lip or edge thereof as shown at 1 3, such lacing also servinggto protect and guidethe free lipor edge of the 4 cup as it passes an obstruction. The rings or JP oups 5v at the upper en d of the member 4 are attached at their lower edges to the member 4 and have their free edges presented upwardly so as to tend to be expanded by pressure exerted 'from above, whereas 'the cups 5 95 at the lower portion of the -member4 are attached at their upper edges to said member 4 and have -their free edges presented downwardly'so as to tend to'be expanded by iiuid pressure exerted frombelow. l

l valve therein or by known to exist inthe well as evidenced, forv example, by a decrease in umping action the sucker rod is withdrawn, e lower end of the well iping 2 bein however, maintained in closedJ condition leaving the' standing sure means being indicate at 15 in Figs. 1 and 2. The leak detectin means shown in Figs. 3 to 5 is then drop down in the well tubin or piling, said means descending freely an rapi y tubing or piping as the ackin means 5 are not adapted to make a tight joint or iit with,A

the interior of the tubing under such conditions. When, however, the detector device reaches a column of iiuid in the ipii'ig its descent is retarded or arrested by t e liquid, the ressure of which expands the lower packing means 5 into tight contactwith the walls of the well tubing. It is assumed that the level of the 1i uid indicatedat a-a in Fi 1 is considerab y above the leak, this condition being roduced by filling the tubing above the level of the leak with a suitable liquid such as oil or water and when the detecting device has entered the liquid column additional liquid, for example water, is `introduced into the tubing from the top so as to roduce a hydrostatic pressure on top of the detector device which expands the acking means at the upper portion thereof into liquid tight enga ement with the walls of the well tubing, and then causes the detectin device to gradually descend as the liquid is forced from the lower portion of the well tubing through the leak indicated at 16. The detecting device will, therefore, descend until its lower packing means passes said leak and encounters an incompressible column of liquid immediately below the leak whereupon the downward movement of the detector device will be automatically arrested. The distance to which the detecting device has descended may be ascertained in any suitable manner, for example by lowerin the plumb bob indicated at 17 carried by a ine or cable 18 and operated by reel or other means 19, the line or the reel being rovided with means for measurin the len t of line paid out as the plumb bo deseen s from the to of the well into contact with the detecting evice 3. This measuring operation may proceed con'- currentl with the radual descent of the detecting evice 3 un er the pressure of the column of liquid suplied on top thereof, it being understood t at in any case the moment that the plumb bob is arrested by the weight 3 can be readily determined by its eect in decrease in the pull on the line. In c'ase there is more than one leak in the tubin the detector will descend to the lowermost eak and will act as a plug or packer therefor, and a lbwerin a plug, such clo,

in the upper portion of the maan? second-similar detecting means tli'eiibel leaks, they act that the measuring means 18 is separate and disconnected from the closure means 3, is an im rtant advantage since it enables the measuring means to be withdrawn after the first or lowermost leak is locatedwithout disturbing the detector means for said leak and vanother detector meansvmay then be inserted and lowered until it reaches the next higher -leak and `the measuring means then again lowered to measure the distance to the second leak and so on.v

The special construction of the packing means for the detecting device abovev described, is desirable for the reason that the well tubing is made in sections secured together by couplings and presenting shoulders or joints which would be liable to catch on the detectingl device and interfere with the free descent thereof, if it were not for the rounded shape of. the packing means which enables'them-to slip past such obstructions.

My invention may also be used for locating leaks in deep well casings caused byrotation of drill pipe where the drilling is effected by operation of a rotating vertical shaft or pipe extending down within the casing. It sometimes occurs that said drill pipe in Vits rotation wears holes in the well casing, causing leaks; and in .such case the leak may be located by pluggingJ the lower end of the casing by any suital then proceedinga's above described.

The wire lacin on the freepedges of the cups 5 enables t e lower cups lto pass obstructions, such as shoulders-or threads at the joints of the well tube sections, as such lacing engages such shoulders in such manner as to deilect and ide the edgeof the cup or inpr) l The a ve described'method of locating a leak has the advantage that it detects the leak under the saine pressure conditions that exist in normal operation of the ump. In some cases a leak opens u under t e pressure suiliciently to prevent e ective pumping, but clos when the pressure is removed, so that it cannot be detected by in tion of the tubing; but by my methodof ocating such a leak will be detected as the location is effected under working pressure.

The leak having been located as above described, suitable steps may be taken to correct the same.

I claim:

1. The method of locating leaks in well tubing in a well hole whichcomprises vsealing the lower end of the tubin introducing into the tubing a movable wel -plugging means, causing said plugging means to descend by e plug or packer ,andk

past the obstruction without catching top of the well to t weighting the same, so as to permit elux of liquid through the leak until the plugging means reaches the leak and is arrested by the column of liquid below the leak, and measuring the distance from the top of the well hole to the plugging means in such arrested portion.

2. The method of locating leaks in 'well tubing which comprises plugging the tubing below the leak, introducing into the well tubing a closure means adapted to move vertically within the tubing and to make liquid tight contact with the walls thereof, introducing liquid into the tubing above said movable closure means to force4 the same downwardly and to permit elilux o liquid through the leak until said movable closure means reaches the leak and measuring the' distance to which said movable closure means has descended.

3. The method of locating a plurality of leaks in well tubing which comprises plugging the lower end of the tubing below the lowest leak, introducing into the tubing a freely falling closure means, introducing liquid into the tubing above said closure means to force the same downwardly, the downward movement of the closure means being continued until it reaches the lowermost leak and bein then arrested by stoppage of the leak y said' closure means, measuring the distance from the top of the well tubing to the closure means so arrested, withdrawing the measuring means, inserting another freely falling movable closure a means and introducing liquid into the tubing yto force said closure means downwardly until it reaches the next higher leak in the well tubing and then measuring the distance from the top of the well tubing to said second closure means.

`4. Means for detecting leaks in Wellv tubing comprising a movable .closure means adapted to be inserted within the tubing and to make liquid tight contact therewith under,

the pressure of liquid in the tubing, and

means for measurin the distance from the tlie top of said movable closure means, said movable c means being provided with an upper acking means adapted to be forced outwar y against the well tubing by the pressure of the liquid above the sameA and with a lower packing means adapted to be forced outwardl against tubing by the pressure of the liquid above said packing means and with a lower packing means adapted to be forced outwardly against the wall of the well tubing by the pressure of the li uid below said packing means so as to ma e a liquid tight contact with the walls of the well tubing at both the lower and upper packing means.

6. Means for detecting leaks in welltubin comprising movable closure means adapte to be inserted within the tubing and to fall 'of liquid therethrough from the space between said packing means to the spaces above and below said closure means.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 14th day of December 1927.

PAUL H. GRANGER.

the well tubing by thc pressure of t e liquid below the same and said movable closure means being separate from the measurin means so as to fall freely within the wel tubing.

5. A locating device for leaks in well tub ing comprising a member having suicient weight to enable it to descend to the liquid in Hee well under investigation and provided lx an upper: packing means adapted to be mui outwardly against the wall of the well 

